Wanga Banga Zing Zong Zilly

[crazywhit]

Alright Gerbils, Who Wants To Go For A Bike Ride? Down A Steep Hill? Up A Slight Grade? Over The Rainbow To Grandmothers House We Go! I Just Got A New Stem For My Vertex 70 Its Really Great. Plus I Shaved 60 Grams Killer. Do You Think That 2.5 Tires Really Help For Absorbing Shock On Hard Tails Better Than 2.1? I Dont Thnk That 2.5 Will Fit On My Sid. But The Velociratpor Is A Great Tire. Sometimes When I Ride... Other Times Not. You Get What Im Layin Down Man? Its Just Not The Same The Other Way. You Really Gotta Let The Brain Juices Fly Sometimes Or You Get All Tight And Crusty. Thats What I Gotta Do. Sittin At My Desk I Get All Crusty You Gotta Just Let The Words Flow And Take You To Another Place.. Its All About Hearin The Words In Your Head And Feelin The Rythem When You Right Alliteration Of The Soul Negates Constipation Of The Mind Its All One Mess Of Emotions And Feelings When Its Going. True To A Bike Ride Its All One Emotion After You Get In The Groove. Or When You Almost Do An Endo Thats A Crazy Feeling Instant High Man. I Got This Zit Under My Nostril Dammit. Off To City Stomp.

[hawkxc]

Seems to me one of the best things about February is it makes it possible for one to go crazy over a something which is otherwise completely inconsequential. Like a new stem. I mean, in June, if you replace a stem or mess with fit--longer, slacker, whatever--it seems to be a matter of course. In February, it's divine.

I mean, honestly, after 3 months riding fixed on pavement, the concept of a tire wider than an inch or the idea of a stem which angles up instead of down is enough to send me into a mental tailspin.

I bought new brake cables for my mountain bikes yesterday. Fifteen minutes of setup, four hours of looking lovingly at the fruits of my labor. I getcha, bro.

[crazywhit]

Dooooood. Aint It Great!! I Ride My Bike For My Property Management Job And They Made Me Take The Bike Out Of The Hallway Cause A Few Fatter Tenants Couldnt Get Int He Office. So Now I Have To Keep It Next To My Desk. Big Mistake All I Do Is Tinker And Stare All Day Long.

[Cyclenaut]

I think everyone has become too soft! Who says you can't ride in February? I've been riding all year, even tonight I did a ride in a few inches of snow, at night, and because of the full moon even did part of it with no lights. It was one of the best rides I've ever done.

[hawkxc]

Fact is, I don't believe that anybody can't or shouldn't ride in February. February just happens to fall in the middle of a long stretch of school, which itself falls, quite literally, in the middle of the south side of Chicago, where singletrack is as scarce as free time.

So I look forward to summer, when I have time to ride in the dirt. Because the rest of the year I commute: every day and every night; rain, snow, hot, dry, dogs, cars, no breaks, no brakes, no coasting, no squish, bag o' books. Pretty weak, I know. I concede.

Maybe I would be "harder" if i spent my evenings on a custom bike, riding quiet, moonlit, snowy, flowing singletrack instead...

[model3224]

duuude...just wow.

::shrugs::

what is so bad about february? besides the fact that here, the ground is still hard, but air is warm enough to put a nice slick coat of mud over every ridable surface. thank goodness for dead leaves and pine needles.

[6pk]

see what happens when all you eat is clifshots, enervite, and redbull when you can't throw down the mileage... YOU START TALKIN LIKE THIS FOR NO REASON AND REAL FAST TOO!! :D I'm pickin up what yer puttin' down though :D

[crazywhit]

ok maybe that tanget got alittle lost. Riding 12 months out of the year is the only way to do it. i ride everydamn day. i think that the point is gettin lost. you need to fucus on one thought or idea. who cares whether you are hardcore and ride in the snow. ladeedamnda. thats ****in wonderful im glad you ride in february. y ou probably have a yellow insulated spandex USPS jersey to keep you thighs warm. this tangent was meant to be mellow and bring people together. not make people feel more important than others cause they ride in february. But who make a big deal out of gettin a new stem i mean how stupid is that. laugh a little. take some pain killers and go to the mall and laugh at all the yuppies.

[hophead]

I love winter riding--especially when the trails are frozen solid. One little accessory that I recently discovered makes riding in February a joy.

[mudskipper]

HOP

You went and got Lake winter shoes...'nice going...
toasty are they not ?

[hophead]

Yea, they are sweet. I got them at the swap meet for $130. Those combined with the egg beaters are an ideal winter combo.

[crazywhit]

gear gear and more gear. i say we just all ride nekkit and prove darwins theory of survival.:) those are trick shoes though. i just got the lake sandals pretty wicked too.

[UKrider]

ride all year round here.
February's a good month, cold, muddy, frozen, snowy, you name it! just need the winter boots, thermal sock liners, waterproof socks, rain resistant tights, thermal undershirt, shirt, fleece, rain & windproof jacket, rain & windproof gloves, buff, helmet liner.

Once i've put all that on, i just want to lie down...

& DON'T GET ME STARTED ON HAVING A PEE IN THAT GET UP!!!

[Cyclenaut]

I have the Shimano winter boots, which they don't sell in the States. Those combined with waterproof socks makes my feet feel like it's summer.

[davkatreb]

So Crazywhit, how's that new stem working out for you?

[tryandgetme]

all winter rider here, cause I'd go crazy (well ok, MORE crazy) if I didnt.

I get excited about ANY new bike bit ANY time! Like I found a pristine set of used rockey mountain cranks to replaced my snapped left (and probably snapping) right. Looked at them for HOURS before I put em on. feeling how light they were. Pretending I noticed a difference once I put them on.

I think I'm gonna go raise the stem a touch on my road bike and freak out how much more like a glove it fits me!!!

[halfinch]

I think everyone has become too soft! Who says you can't ride in February? I've been riding all year, even tonight I did a ride in a few inches of snow, at night, and because of the full moon even did part of it with no lights. It was one of the best rides I've ever done.

mmm...moonlight night. few clouds, stillness in the air. it was that way this evenin. nothing but pure milky white moonlight casting shadows through the leafless trees. nice warm 38 degree evening. geese overhead, honking their way northward, no hunters, solitude. :D

my friends think i'm nuts, as does my neighbors,co-workers. my wife humours me. the tribe of folks here understand.

[Dirk Pitt]

Halfinch, that sounds like a great ride :D .

One of the great things about working at a bike shop is I only get strange looks when I DON'T ride to work! Of course it is another story entirely when friends ask me if I'm SURE I don't need a ride to/from wherever we are hanging out.

The town I live in has gotten a bit too car crazy. Everything you could need is within walking distance of most peoples homes. Definetly within riding distance. People still insist on driving a block and a half to pick up milk. Kids still insist on getting a ride to school because it dipped below 50*. Thankfully during the summer time, alot of locals ditch their cars for bicycles because of tourist traffic (beach town) and the hordes of kids on beach cruisers (our shop unfortunately sells mostly beach cruisers, not a big mtn bike community) that take over the streets. Speaking of, I need to go get milk and my beach cruiser sounds like the perfect pony take me there.

[crazywhit]

OH ITS GREAT i had the race face system stem previous 140mm with 15 rise was just a alittle much. so i got the rocky mountain stem. just a basic 7005 stem black matches my frame plus is 130 and 10 so it drops me down and back which is nice. though we got a "Wintery Mix" today. for all you non southern east coasters that means snow turning to sleet turning to rain then back to snow and rain with it all melting once it hits the ground for a few hours then freezing over nice to a nice chunky slick of ice and grunge. its really great for epic rides. the kind that you work up such a major sweat pedaling tha tou dont wanna stop cuase you know youll get cold. yeah. not the kinda weather you can just hop on the bike and ride for an hour in. rock and or roll. idid download a great Dead show winterland 78 with the guy Hamza El Din they picked up on on their tour in Egypt great drums and chants.

[crazywhit]

all winter rider here, cause I'd go crazy (well ok, MORE crazy) if I didnt.



I think I'm gonna go raise the stem a touch on my road bike and freak out how much more like a glove it fits me!!!

i got a cheap 0 degree zoom stem for my road goign from an old salsa mtb stem. it made a world of difference then i broke my carbon fork on cobble stone dammit. yarrrrrrrrrrrrrr